Ulluco is a traditional root crop from the Andes.  They hold their shape when boiled, steamed, or fried, and taste somewhere between a beet, a parsnip, and a potato. The leaves are succulent and delicious raw or cooked - they taste just like spinach.

Ulluco grows well with cool, moist soil and part sun.  Although full sun works well in spring and fall, it doesn't like our summer heat, so deciduous shade is best.  A frost kills the leaves, so harvest the above ground parts before the first frost in September or October, then save the tubers in a protected place for next spring.